Steam iron



May 1 1, 1965 s. R. BRICKER 3,182,411

STEAM IRON Filed March 13. 1962 y :4 53 66 9 57 Q 58 65 52 J INVENTOR SAMUEL R; BRIOKER ATTORNEY the tank with water for steam pressing operations.

United States Patent Ofifice 3,182,4li Patented May 11, 1965 corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Mar. 13, 1962, Ser. No. 179,357

I 3 Claims. (Cl. 38-'7'7) This invention relates to electrically heated steam irons, and more particularly to steam irons of the flash type. A primary object is to provide improvements in the valve arrangements and control means therefor.

Steam irons of the flash type are provided with a built-in water tank having a fill opening to permit fillliig e tank in such irons is in communication with a steam-generatingchamber disposed in the sole-plate and the flow of the water from the tank is controlled by a suitable 'water valve. The orifice of such valves is so small that the water flows in a 'drop-by-drop manner, and, accordingly, it is common practice to refer to these valves as drip valves. It is highly desirable that the fill opening be closed at all times except when the tank is being filled so that during ironing operations there is no danger that the water will be splashed out of the tank. Also it is desired and fill opening closure arrangement whereby the closure member and the drip valve are controlled by a common control member and in which each is controlled independently of the other and in the proper relation to each other. a

In accordance with the invention there is provided a novel and improved flash steam iron in which the drip valve, the fill opening closure member and a single manual actuator are arranged in vertical alignment, with the drip valve and the closure member being biased by a common biasing means in opposite directions toward their respective closed positions and the drip valve and closure member being operated to their open positions by a single actuator moving in opposite respective directions from an intermediate position.

These and other objects are effected by this invention as will be apparent from the following description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view, mostly in section, of a portion of an electric iron constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing the manual actuator in the position for dry ironing with both the drip valve and the closure member in their respective closed positions;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the manual actuator in the steam ironing position in which the drip valve is in open position; and

FIG. 3 is a similar view showing the manual actuator in the fill position with the closure member in open position.

In accordance with an illustrative embodiment of the invention, there is shown an electric steam iron of the flash type, having a soleplate 11, a water tank or reservoir 12 above the soleplate and a suitable shell or cover 13 cooperating with the soleplate to enclose the tank.

The cover 13 is fixed to the soleplate 11 by means of a closed positions. -mernber and drip valve is so arranged that movement of suitable bracket 14 secured to the soleplate 11 by means of cap screws 16.

The cover 13 is spaced from the top of bracket 14 by a spacer sleeve 17 surrounding a bolt 18 which secures the cover to the top of the bracket 14. A handle unit 19, having a grip portion 20, is secured to cover 13 by screws, one of which is shown at 21.

The handle unit 19 has a front leg 25 provided with a large recess 26, the inside of which is accessible through an access opening normally closed by a top cover 27. The relation between the leg 25 and the improvements provided by this invention will appear from the subsequent description.

The soleplate 11 is provided with a steam generating chamber 10 which is connected by suitable passages 22 to a plurality of steam discharge ports, one of which is shown at 23, directed downwardly through the bottom of the soleplate. A cover plate 24, secured to the upper surface of the soleplate 11 by means of suitable cap screws, one of which is shown at 30, serves as the upper wall of the steam generating chamber and the passages 22. An electrical heating element 26, preferably of the sheathed type, is embedded in the soleplate and serves to heat the latter for steam or dry,pressing of textile material as is well understood'in the art. The energization of the heating element and the temperature of the soleplate is controlled in conventional manner.

In the illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the fill opening for the tank 12 and the drip valve between the tank and the steam generating chamber 1b are in vertical alignment, thereby permitting the fill opening closure member and the controls therefor to be conveniently mounted in the forward end of the handle unit 19. Another. important feature is the novel arrangement wherein a single biasing spring is arranged between the closure member for the fill opening and the drip valve for simultaneously urging them both at all times toward their The linkage for'operating. the closure the linkage in one direction from an intermediate position opens either the closure member or the drip valve, and movement in the opposite direction opens the other.

These features are illustrated in the drawings where the water tank 12, shown as extending horizontally above the soleplate Eli, is provided with a fill tube 28. The fill tube 23 projects upwardly into an undercut annular recess,

terminating in a planar surface 29, in the lower side of the front leg 25 of the handle unit 19. The upper edge of the fill tube 28 is sealed to the planar surface 29 by means of a suitable resilient gasket 31, which may be of any suitable heat-resistant material, such as silicon rubber, or the like. The planar surface 2 is provided with a central aperture 32 constituting the fill opening for the water tank 12. The aperture 32 is in direct communica tion with the flared passage 33, molded into the front of the leg 25. The flared passage 33 constitutes a convenient funnel through which tank 12 may be filled when the iron is in a tilted position with its front end uppermost. The planar surface 29 constitutes a valve seat for aflat resilient disc-like fill valve member 34 for the fill opening 32. The fill valve is opened, when it is desired to fill the water tank, in a manner hereinafter described.

A drip valve 35 through which water is supplied from the water tank 12 to the steam chamber 10 in the soleplate during the steam ironing operations comprises a stationary valve body 36 sealed to the bottom of the tank 12. and having a small orifice 38 through which water may flow, drop by drop, when the drip valve 36 is open (FIG. 2). The valve body 36 is beveled at its upper side at 39 to provide a suitable valve seat for a movable valve member 49 at the lower end of a valve stem 41. A small pilot pin 4-2 is loosely mounted in a bore in the. lower end valve 40 are biased toward closed position by means of a suitable spring 43, the lower end of which bears against an annular washeridfix'ed to the valve stem 41. The:

upper end of the spring 43 engages a washer dwhich bears against the fill valve 34. It will be seen from the construction illustrated and described that the single bias ing spring 43 mutually urges both the dripvalve 4i} and the fill valve 34 in opposite directions toward their respective closed positions.

Associated with the construction described above is an i f operating linkage, for operating the fill valve 34 and the drip valve 40, that assures that thefill valve and the drip valve can vnever be opened at the sametime. end, an operating link 47, connected to a manual actuator member 48 at the top of the front leg 25, has a one-way connection with the valve stem 41 to lift the latter and,

its drip valve from the seat and is adapted to engage the fill valve 34' to push it down away from its seat. The link 47 has a loop 49, at its lower end, surrounding the valve stern il -and has a sliding fit'therewith when moveddown- 'wardly. This loop is positioned between the fill valve 34 and a washer Stl'fixed to the valve stem 41. V

The upper end of the valve stem 41 slidably engages a hole in the fill valve 34 anda bore 51 in therfront leg 25 of the handle unit 19. The'bore Sil serves as a guide for the upper end of the valve stem'l. The fill valve '54 is ofresilient material andengages the valve sterndl with a slidable liquid-tight fit. The manual actuator element 48 .is pivotally connected at 52 to the upper part ofthe front leg 25 of the handle unit 19 and has an arm 53 to which the operating link 47 is connected, The arm '53 has a hole 54- through which the upper end of link 47 extends; The connectionbetween the arm :53 and the link 47. is effected through suitable resilient bushings 56 and 57-. These bushings, having hemispherical heads,

are assembled on the link 47 on opposite sides of the arm 53, between metal washers 58, 59 fixed to the link 47, with their hemispherical heads engaging the hole 54 in the arm 53. The actuator member-48 is provided with a manipulable finger 61 projecting above the top surface of the closure 27; It will be noted that both the closure member 34 and the valve stem 41 are engaging their respective seats when the finger piece 61 is in its intermediate position, corresponding to DRY" ironing operation.

Referring now to FIG. 2,'it will be seen that when the actuator element 48 is pivoted beyond the intermediate position in a counterclockwise direction, the arm 53 lifts the operating link 47 so that the looped end 4? engages the washer 5t? and liftsthe drip valve 49 from its seat. This corresponds tothe ,STEAM ironing operation, as

To this,

7 indicated bythe position of the finger piecevdl since the 1 water canfiow through. the drip valve 35, as indicated a by the arrows 62. It will be seen that when the link 47 lifts valve stem 41 the fill valve 34 is not affected since the biasing spring 43 is merely further compressed and increases its closing force. on the fill valve.

Referring now to PEG. 3, it will be noted that the actuating member 43 has been moved in the clockwise direction past the intermediate position to the position designated as FILL by the finger piece 61. In this position the arm 53 pushes the link47 downwardly so that the loop 4? engages the closure member 34, pushing it from. 7

its seat and further'compressing the spring 43 and thus urging the drip valve 40 tighter against its seat 39. When the iron is placed in a tilted position, with its front end uppermost, the tank 12 may be filled by pouring water into the flared opening 33, from whence it willflow, as indicated by the arrows 63, into the tank or reservoirlZ.

From the foregoing description it will be readily apparent that the present invention provides an improved and novel construction in steam irons in which the fill, valve and thedrip valve are vertically aligned and may be uperated by a single actuating member which opens the fill returned "to closed position;

. a; valve. without disturbing the drip valve when moved in one direction and permits the fill valve to :move to closed position, and opens the drip valve whenmovedin the opposite In the illustrated embodiment: of the invention, it is 1 apparent that the actuator 48 will normally rest in the DRY position with both'the drip-valve and the closure member in their respective closed positions. The actuator 48 must be held bythe finger piece 61in either the STEAM position or the FILL? position, and this may be accomplished by friction between a protuberance 65 at the front of the actuator 48 and the arcuate surface 66 of the front wall of the recesszd. However, the means for reciprocating the actuating link 47 forms no partof the present invention, and it will be readily apparent that any other suitable means maybe provided for positioning and holding the link 47. V

While the invention has been shown in but one form, it will be obviousto those skilled in the-art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from thespirit thereof.

What is claimed is: 1. An electric steam iron having 7 a soleplate provided with a :steam generating chamber and apertures connected to said chamber "for discharging steam from said chamber, a water tank disposed above said soleplate, a fill opening at the. top of said tank,- a fill valve for said fill opening; a dripvalve in thebottom of saidtank connecting said tank to said steam'= generating chamber and being vertically aligned with saidfill opening, said fill valve 7 valve and said valve stem adapted to resiliently bias said fill valve and said drip valve in opposite direc tions toward ,their"respective seats, and an actuating element adapted. to engage said fill valve to push the latter from its closed position against said resilient'means when moved in one direction and being operably associated with said drip'valve to move the latter to open position when said actuating element ismoved in the opposite direction beyond the point where said fill valve has returned to closed position. I 2. an electric steam iron having a soleplate provided with a steam generating chamber and apertures connected to said chamber for discharging steam from said chamber, a water tank disposed above said soleplate, said water tank having an upstanding cylindrical filltube, a handle unit anchored to said soleplate above said tank,

said handle unit having i a downwardly facing surface in sealing engagement with said fill tube and having a 1 an opening in said surface constituting a fill opening for said water tank, a drip valve in the bottom of said tank vertically aligned below said fill opening, said drip valve having an operating stem secured thereto and extending vertically upward-through said fill opening,- a fill valve for said fill opening adaptedrto engage said downwardly facing surface on said handle unit and slidably engaging said valve stem,

resilient means operably associated between said fill valve and said drip valve stem to thereby resiliently urge both said fill valve and said drip valve stem to their respective closed positions, and

an actuating element adapted to move in one direction to engage said fill valve to push it to open position against the force of said resilient means, said actuating element having an operating connection with said valve stem to move said drip valve to open position after said actuating element is moved in the opposite direction beyond the point where said fill valve has returned to closed position.

3. An electric steam iron having a soleplate provided with a steam generating chamber and apertures connected to said chamber for discharging steam from said chamber,

a Water tank disposed above said soleplate,

means including a drip valve for controlling the flow of water from said tank to said chamber,

a fill tube attached to the top of said tank,

a handle unit anchored to said soleplate above said tank and having a downwardly facing surface engaging the upper end of said fill tube, said surface having an aperture therein constituting a fill opening for said water tank, said drip valve being located in the bottom of said tank in vertical alignment with said fill opening, said drip valve having 6 an operating stern integral therewith extending upwardly through said opening,

a disc-like fill valve slidably engaging said valve stem and adapted to engage the underside of the surface on said handle unit to close said fill opening,

a spring surrounding said valve stem, said spring having one end operably connected to said valve stem and the opposite end acting against said fill valve, whereby said spring resiliently urges said drip valve and said fill valve toward their respective closed positions, and

an actuating element adapted to engage the side of said fill valve opposite said spring to push said fill valve away from said surface on said handle unit when moved in one direction, said actuating element having a one-way operating connection with said valve stem and adapted to move said drip valve to its open position when moved in the opposite direction beyond the point at which said fill valve is returned to its closed position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 6/59 Finlayson et a1 38-77 7/61 Swenson 38-77 Examiners. 

1. AN ELECTRIC STEAM IRON HAVING A SOLEPLATE PROVIDED WITH A STEAM GENERATING CHAMBER AND APERTURE CONNECTED TO SAID CHAMBER FOR DISCHARGING STEAM FROM SAID CHAMBER, A WATER TANK DISPOSED ABOVE SAID SOLEPLATE, A FILL OPENING AT THE TOP OF SAID TANK, A FILL VALVE FOR SAID FILL OPENING, A DRIP VALVE IN THE BOTTOM OF SAID TANK CONNECTING SAID TANK TO SAID STEAM GENERATING CHAMBER AND BEING VERTICALLY ALINGED WITH SAID FILL OPENING, SAID FILL VALVE AND SAID DRIP VALVE HAVING SEATS FACING EACH OTHER, SAID DRIP VALVE HAVING AN OPERATING STEM EXTENDING UPWARDLY THROUGH SAID FILL OPENING, SAID FILL VALVE HAVING AN OPENING THEREIN ADAPTED TO SLIDABLY RECEIVE SAID VALVE STEM, RESILIENT MEANS OPERABLE ASSOCIATED BETWEEN SAID FILL VALVE AND VALVE STEM ADAPTED TO RESILIENTLY BIAS SAID FILL VALVE AND SAID DRIP VALVE IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS TOWARD THEIR RESPECTIVE SEATS, AND AN ACTUATING ELEMENT ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID FILL VALVE TO PUSH THE LATTER FROM ITS CLOSED POSITION AGAINST SAID RESILIENTLY MEANS WHEN MOVED IN ONE DIRECTION AND BEING OPERABLY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID DRIP VALVE TO MOVE THE LATTER TO OPEN POSITION WHEN SAID ACTUATING ELEMENT IS MOVED IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION BEYOND THE POINT WHERE SAID FILL VALVE HAS RETURNED TO CLOSED POSITION. 